Method of treating lumber.



LA FAYETTE MOORE. METHOD 0F TRBATING LUMBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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METHOD 0F TRBATING LUMBER.

APPLLCATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912.

l1,054,597, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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METHOD 0F TREATING LUMBER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5,1912.

1,054,597. Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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LA FAYETTE MOORE, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO L. MOORE DRY KILN I C0., 0F JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

METHOD OF TREATING LUMBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Treating Lumber, of which the following is.

a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a method of treatingl lumber and more especially such woods as gum, oak and cypress, as distinguished from pine, poplar and other coarse grain woods.

In a former Patent No. 769.102, granted to me August 30. 190i, a scalding box and kiln are employed and in the scalding box the scalding is accomplished byv the discharge of steam directly into the scalding In this way the acids are cooked or up and the coloring matter becomes difwv fused throughout the entire complement of steam in the scalding box. The steam enJ velops, saturates and protects the lumber while the diffused coloring unatter in the steam uniformly penetrates the fibers and distributes itself so that the color of the stock, for instance gum` given a uniform mahogany brown,.color throughout which makes it more profitable in the finer cabinet work and the lilte. ll'hile I have precisely the same object in vieuv in my present process. I go a step fur-.ther in the way of economizing in the use of steam. and also binding the lumber or holding it against warping, thus making *this process particularly adaptable for use in treating gum. lVhile the old method above referred to was and is entirely successful, the discharge of so much steam int-o the scalding box constituted an undue draft upon the boiler capacity.

IVith my present invention I increase the heat and save boiler capacity at the same time acquiring the degree of heat necessary to scald the lumber in the cooking and coloring process, and this is done by providing the sealding box with heating coils which maintain a certain predetermined temperature throughout and in addition to this relatively fine jets of steam are discharged into the scalding box, as it is found in this way the required amount of steam is furnished to protect the lumber, the boiler capacity is no longer taxed, and consequently smaller boilers can be employed which means greater economy and altogether better results. In other words, adequate moisture and heat are provided with a minimum draft upon the boilers to effect the cooking and coloring of the lumber. After this cooking` and breaking up of the cells, this scalding act-ion upon the natural acids and coloring matter and its diffusion in the surrounding volume of steam, Which results in a re-distribution and uniform coloring of the lumber throughout, the lumber is removed from the sweat box to the kiln, and on its way from one to the other it is bound tight against warping and twisting in such a ivay that it will be keptI flat and caused to retain its shape as it shrinks in the kiln, the binding means employed acting automatically to retain its tension uniformly upon the stacked lumber as the latter shrinks as the result of the 'moisture drying out and leaving the cells during the curing` process in the kiln, it remaining in the kiln sufficient-ly long to be satisfactorily dried and cured.

In the accompanying draivings-Figure -1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view showing one arrangement of scalding box and dry kiln which may be used to accomplish my process; Fig. 2 is a horizontal lsectional view of the mechanism disclosed in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a view similar to that disclosed in Fig. Q of the scaldmg box on an. enlarged scale, more clearly to illusrtrate the arrangement of the parts; Fig. 4

discloses the manner of binding a stack of lumber preparatory to placing it in the dry kiln and after it has been treated in the scalding box, and Fig. 5 is a detail View of the spring pressed means for maintaining an even binding pressure.

For convenience in handling I have found that it is preferable that the lumber be stacked on trucks and this method of stacking is better disclosed in Fig. et in which the trucks 1 have the I-beams 2 rest-ing across them and spaced a suitable distance apart. In the treatment of most lumbers cut from hard Wood timber, it is preferable that the spacing strips 3 be placed upon the I-beams, after which a layer of lumber is laid, then Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

more spacing strips. and so on until the stack is completed. ln treating the majority of the hard woods` l find it is preferable to place the spacing strips preferably about two feet apart from center to center. although it will be understood that the requirements will var v with different woods. and in the treatment of soft woods that the strips might bc spaced even tive or six feet apart and yet accomplish the result desired, which is that the lumber is held against. twisting and warping. ln actual practice these stacks are piled to measurel probably six and a half feet in width and from ten to eleven feet in height. and as a means of moving them from the loading platform C into the scalding box A, out of the sealding box into the dry kiln B, and then onto the unloading platform l), l have provided tracks l, l, on which the trucks 1 are adapted to travel, and suitable doors 20 and 21 which are opened to allo-w the stacks to pass. Beneath the track and scalding box A a plurality of zigzag coils 5 are provided which are connected with a header (i at their' supply end and connect with a trap T atl the opposite end. Preferably just above the coils 5 and between them and the tracks et, a steam pipe 8 is secured. and at intervals throughout the extent of this pipe arms 9 are connected which are provided on their upper surfaces with jet or spray openings 10. The pipe S is connected with the main steam pipe 11 from the boiler and the pas sage of steam therethrough is controlled by a valve 12. It is preferable that these spray pipes be located at such a position that they will discharge steam 'directly beneath the stacks of lumber as they stand in the scalding box, and in the present instance. where the scalding box is disclosed as being of a dimension twenty. feet in width by twentyeig-ht feet in length, it will be seen that four stacks can be, accommodated and that necessarily four sets of spray pipes will be rcquired. The dry kiln B has aplurality of coils 125 positioned beneath thc tracks 4 and connected attheir one end with the header 14 and at their other extremity to the trap 15. The header 1st is connected bv a pipe 16 controlled by valve 17 with the steam pipe 11 from the boiler, and a lead pipe 1S controlled by y'alve 19 permits the passage of steam from the header 1l to the header 6 for supplying the coils In carrying out my process, the lumber is stacked on the trucks on the platform C after which it is moved into the scalding box A and the doors 20 and 21 thereof are closed and locked as nearly steam tight. as possible. Valves 12, 1T and 19 are then opened thus heating the coils 5 which radiate a dry heat and at the same time introduce steam into the box through the spray pipes 10 connected with the steam pipe S.

In this way the air in the scalding box is thoroughly saturated with moisture and the temperature increased to between 2200 F. and 2500 F. and the lumber is permitted to remain in the scalding box for from eight to te'.` hours` after which time it has become thtnoughly filled with moisture and each of the sap cells has been exploded and the acids and salts thereof diluted in the water and distributed uniformly throughout the'bers of the wood. The steam then shut off from the spray pipe and coils and the door 2l is opened and this stack is then moved onto the platform ll and is bound. as better disclosed in Fig. l. bhv plat-.ing the metal pipes 23 on top thereof vand preferably di- -rectly above the vertical row of the spacing strips.

As a means of securing a pressure upon the pipes 23 which will be maintained during the entire drying process and even after the greater part of the moisture has been drawn oit, and the lumber is shrunk, I have provided a spring tension device better shown in Fig. 5, in which the easing 24 has the hook )5 secured on the lower end thereotl in position to engage beneath the I-beam Q on the truck. )t cap 2t is secured on the. upper end of the casing 2l and a plunger rod 27 is mounted to have sliding movement through this cap. coil spring Q8 surrounds the rod 2T and bears at its one end against a head 29 carried by the plunger rod. A chain 30 of the open link variety, carries a ring 31 adapted to be placed over the end of the pipe The plunger rod QT is provided on its free end with a loop 32 and hook 3?. and after the hook 25 has been engaged with one of the I-beams 2, Q, a pry lever may be, inserted through the loop 32 and engage with the pile of lumber. The plunger rod 2T is then drawn upwardly against the tension of the spring 2S and the hook 33 is inserted in one of the links of the chain 30. lln this way a great pressure is brought to bear upon the top boards of the stack, and these boards. as well as the lower boards on which the greater part of the weight of the stack rests. are held against warping. 'i\lso. as the height of the stack decrases due to thc shrinkage ot' the lumber, the tension of the spring QS presses the pipes 23 downward and maintains the same uniform pressure.

ll'hen the lumber is removed from the s 'alding box A to the platform E, the boards are at a temperature of more than Q00@ F. and eonsetpiently during the binding operation the exteriors dry `very quickly and the pores begin to close.- ln this state the stack is moved into the kilns B and if the process of drying was continued with dry heat, the lumber would become cased on its outer surface and the pores closed, which would prevent thorough seasoning, and to overcome this diiiculty I have provided ay pipe connected with the main steam pipe 11 and coni trolled by a valve 35. The p1 'e 34v extends for approximately one-half t e longitudinal dimension of the kiln and has branch spray pipes 36 similar to the spray pipes 9 of the steam pipe '8 but preferably spaced about twice 'the distance apart.

It is intended that the kiln shall be of much greater length than the scalding box, and by the proportions of the resent disclosure, would be inthe neigh orhood of one hundred feet long, thus as each stack is removed from the scalding box, the one ahead is movedfarther toward the discharge end of the dry kiln. In other words, the rst stack near the inletdoor 37 and-Which has just been removed from the scalding box, is thoroughl saturated in its body but is dry'. on its sur ace. To prevent the lumber in this stack from cas-ing it is necessary that additional moistureA should be supplied, and, as the drying process continues, that this moisture be reduced until the stack reaches the discharge end near the door 38. There is no moisture in the 4atmosphere at the exit en d of the kiln with the exception .of that driven oif from the lumberand that is very slight. It is preferable that the steam to thecoils 13 be regulated to such an extent that the temperature `in the dry kiln will range from 190 F. to 200O F. and as live steam which is above the boiling point, is being introduced through the spray pipes 36 at the -upper end of the kiln only, the temperature near the door 37 will be materially higher than near the door 3 8 which will cause a draft from the, lower end of the kiln out through the ventilators 39 near the upper end thereof and will thus regulate the moisture and temperature in the different sections of the kiln.

It will thus be-seen that I have provided a process `with which the acids and resinous matter are evenly distributed throughout the entirety of the lumber being treated and also diluted to such an extent that a certain percentage is carried out, and further by heating the acids toa boiling point, the wood 1s given anniform color and that by opening the outer pores of the lumber and keeping them' open during the process of j drying, the time required to thoroughly sea- Son the wood is materially lessened.

Having thus described my inventlon, what lI claim as newy and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1 j '1. A process of'treating lumber which consists. of stacking the lumber so that air may have access to every part thereof, introducing the stack 'into a chamber, saturating the air in the chamber with moisture, ralsing the temperature in the chamber to approximately the boiling point, removing the stack from the chamber, binding the' lumber to prevent warping in such a manner vthat the tension will be maintained uniform during the shrinking and swelling of the lumber, and introducing the stack into a dry kiln for drying the lumber.

2. The herein described method of treating lumber which consists in subjecting it to a scalding treatment in a closed chamber wherein the chamber is heated by steam vcoils atjthe same timeinjecting steam in small quantities into the scalding box so Athat the required degree of heat is maintained without exhausting the boilers, so that'the lumber contained'therein becomes thoroughly moist and saturated and the acids and coloring matter driven therefrom are diffused in the enveloping steam and uniformly re-distributed throughout the cells of the wood.,

3. The herein described method of treat ing lumber which consists in subjecting it to a' scaldi'ngtreatment` in a closed chamber wherein the chamber is heated by steam coils at the same time injecting steam in small quantities into the scalding box so that the required degree of heat is mainy uniformly re-distrib'uted throughout the cells of the wood, subsequently bindingfthe stack of lumber'being treated so as to automatically maintain a uniform degree of tension thereon while drying. and f shrinking whereby to prevent it from warping and' twisting.

In testimony whereof I aliix my slgnature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses: y

J. D. YOAKLEY,

VERNON E. Houses.

LA FAYETTE Moons.' 

